Foreign Relations of the United States, 1917–1972, Volume VIII, Public Diplomacy, 1969–1972

170. Letter From President Nixon to the President of the United States Table Tennis Association (Steenhoven)¹

Washington, April 11, 1972

Dear Mr. Steenhoven:

I wish to express my appreciation for the arrangements that you and your organization are making, with the assistance of the National Committee for U.S.-China Relations, to facilitate the visit to our country of the table tennis team from the People’s Republic of China.² Having seen members of this team perform while in Peking, I know that the American people can anticipate a notable demonstration of Chinese athletic skill and good sportsmanship. You and your team conducted yourselves splendidly in April of 1971 as the first American participants in people-to-people contacts with the People’s Republic.³ I am sure that you will perform in an equally outstanding manner in hosting the return visit of the Chinese team.

As an expression of my personal interest in this important cultural exchange between the Chinese and American people, I have appointed Special Presidential Consultant John A. Scali as my personal representative to greet our guests from the People’s Republic, and to assist you and the National Committee in contributing to their comfort and convenience.

I know that you, and all Americans, will accord the visiting delegation the same friendly and hospitable reception that the American table tennis team and our official delegation received in China during the past year. Your organization and the American people will be our ambassadors in this effort to promote greater understanding between the peoples of China and the United States. I wish you every success.⁴

Sincerely,

Richard Nixon

1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Special Files, Staff Member and Office Files, John A. Scali, Subject Files, Box 3, Chinese Table Tennis Team April 21, 1971 [1 of 4]. No classification marking. Under an April 10 memorandum, Kissinger and Scali sent Nixon a copy of the proposed letter. They wrote: “The release of this letter would serve to underline your personal interest in this tour, without interfering in its private nature. It would thus be a useful signal both to the groups hosting the Chinese and to the Chinese themselves, and it should help improve the climate of the reception afforded the team by the American public.” Kissinger and Scali recommended that the President approve the public release of the letter to Steenhoven. Next to this recommendation, an unknown hand wrote: “Per Ron Ziegler—if anyone is to release letter—Steenhoven should—not WH.” (Ibid.) Earlier, in a March 23 memorandum to Haig, Scali and Solomon recommended that Nixon send a personal letter to Steenhoven, explaining that the letter “will give Steenhoven and his organization a bit of face; and by making explicit the White House backstopping of the tour, it will enable Steenhoven and the NCUSCR to handle any criticism from within their own ranks that the government is taking over their organizations in a clandestine manner. (We are now working out liaison arrangements with these two groups on a cooperative and confidential basis.).” (Ibid.)
2. In telegram 5316 from Paris, March 20, 1972, Watson reported that the PRC table-tennis team, consisting of 20 people and 6 journalists and headed by Chuang Tse-tung, would arrive in the United States on April 10 and would tour the United States for 2 weeks. The telegram is printed in Foreign Relations, 1969–1976, vol. E–13, Documents on China, 1969–1972, Document 115.
3. See footnote 2, Document 130.
4. The President met with the PRC table tennis team from 12:04 until 12:21 p.m. on April 18. (National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, White House Central Files, President’s Daily Diary) For his remarks, made during a Rose Garden ceremony, see Public Papers: Nixon, 1972, pp. 547–548.